Ball-Sellers House
Overview
For a true glimpse into how many early Virginians built their homes and lived in Colonial times, visit the Ball-Sellers House in the Glencarlyn neighborhood.
Farmer John Ball originally built a one-room log cabin on this site in the mid 18th century. John, his wife Elizabeth, and their five daughters lived in this little house. The cabin was later updated and added to as it changed hands over the years. The historic structure served as a school, summer cottage, a dairy farm and a home. Today it is the oldest house in the county and a rare example of a common dwelling during the 1700s.
In October 2023, the Arlington Historical Society (AHS) and Black Heritage Museum of Arlington (BHMA) dedicated their first “stumbling stones” or bronze markers honoring the lives of three individuals once enslaved at what is now the Ball-Sellers House. These first commemorative markers are the result of research conducted by the AHS/BHMA project: Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington, 1669-1865, which is committed to recovering historical truths and restoring the humanity of enslaved individuals. The Ball-Sellers House is proud to be the first property in Arlington to have a commemorative marker to the enslaved.
Managed by the Arlington Historical Society, the Ball-Sellers House is on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in America. Visitors today can see the original logs with mud daubing, as well as the original plank floors. The rare oak clapboard roof is one of the roofs of its kind in the USA.
Open Saturdays, 1 - 4 p.m., April through October. The cabin may also be visited by appointment by calling 703-942-9247 or 703-698-5714. There is no admission fee, but donations are greatly appreciated.
The Ball-Sellers House is accessible by car. Find directions here.
